subs. (old: now recognised).—A whimsical humourist; a rashling. Fr. un lanturlu. As adj. = wild; freakish.
1594. Look About You, Sc. 13 [DODSLEY, Old Plays, 1874, vii. 420]. B-but p-pray have a care of th-this MADCAP.
1595. SHAKESPEARE, Two Gentlemen of Verona, ii. 5, 8. Speed. Come on, you MAD-CAP, I’ll to the ale-house.
1597–8. HAUGHTON, A Woman will have her Will, ii. 1 [DODSLEY, Old Plays, 1874, x. 498]. You madman, MADCAP, wild-oats!
1609. FLETCHER, The Wild-Goose Chase, iv. 1.
| If any of the MAD-CAP gentlemen should come by, | |
| That take up women upon special warrant, | |
| You were in a wise case now. |
1639. GLAPTHORNE, Wit in a Constable, iii. 1 [PEARSON (1874), i. 199].
| Tho. Pray be you Sir Timothy, know his entrance: | |
| ’Tis such another MAD-CAP my Scene is. |
1658. Wit Restor’d [HOTTEN], 147.
| Two MADCAPS were committed late, | |
| For treason, as some say. |
1678. COTTON, Virgil Travestie, in Works (1725), Bk. iv. p. 95.
| Her Grace | |
| Finds me amongst a Crew of MAD-CAPS. |
c. 1696. B. E., A New Dictionary of the Canting Crew, s.v.
c. 1796. BURNS, To Robert Graham of Fintry, 8. Not so the idle Muses’ MAD-CAP train.
1823. BADCOCK (‘Jon Bee’), Dictionary of the Turf, etc., s.v. MAD-CAP a frisky, wild lass, full of fun.
1831. BULWER-LYTTON, Eugene Aram, Bk. 4, ch. xi. I could not a-think what could make so shy an’ resarved a gentleman as Mr. Aram admit these ’ere wild MAD-CAPS at that hour.
